up to one's ears

up to (one's) ears (in something)

Extremely busy (with something); deeply or overly involved (in something); possessing, filled up with, or overwhelmed by an excessive amount (of something). There's no way I can take a vacation right now, I'm up to my ears in work at the moment!I only meant to be peripherally involved in David's business venture, but before I knew it I was in up to my ears!Dana was worried she wouldn't find any work as an accountant working for herself, but she's up to her ears in clients!

up to one's ears

Also, in up to one's eyes or eyeballs or neck . Deeply involved; also, oversupplied, surfeited. For example, I'm up to my ears in work, or He's in up to his eyes with the in-laws. This hyperbolic and slangy idiom implies one is flooded with something up to those organs. The first was first recorded in 1839; up to the eyes in 1778; to the eyeballs in 1911; to the neck in 1856.

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